The present invention relates to an ammunition feed system for a small or medium calibre fire arm integrated into the gun shield mantlet of the turret of an armoured vehicle, for example, the said mantlet trunnioned on an axis to enable the weapon to move in elevation, this feed system being of the type which comprises at least one ammunition storage device, a loading device peculiar to the weapon to feed the munitions one by one into the firing chamber, and an intermediate section to transfer the munitions from the ammunition storage device to the loading device of the weapon.
In a conventional feed system, the munitions are generally linked together in a chain which is stored in a container forming an ammunition magazine. The intermediate section between the magazine and the loading device of the weapon is composed of one-way drive means which mesh with the chain to bring the munitions up to the loading device of the weapon in order to load them.
As a general rule, a fire arm may fire different munitions which are selected according to the nature of the target to be reached. In concrete terms, a target which appears in the firing sights of the weapon is not always identifiable in advance, given that firing efficiency is conditioned by the suitable selection of the munition to be fired at this target. In order to address this problem, one solution consists in providing two magazines containing different munitions. These two magazines are generally placed on either side of the weapon and work respectively in conjunction with two intermediate means to transfer the munitions from one or other of these two magazines to the loading device of the weapon.
Such a solution is not satisfactory from a technical point of view and also has the notable disadvantage of being cumbersome.
A new solution to the aforementioned problem is disclosed, in the French Application for Letters of Patent registered under number 94.09095 in the name of the Applicant, a solution which consists in providing an ammunition storage device formed of a single container in which two magazines are arranged each containing different munitions none of which are chain-linked together, each magazine comprising a two-way transport conveyor which supports and moves the munitions inside the magazine, and the intermediate transfer section also comprises a two-way transfer means common to both magazines and designed either to transfer the munitions from one or other of the magazines to the loading device of the weapon, or to bring the munitions being transferred towards the loading device of the weapon back to their original magazine, as well as means to select and control in synchronization the two-way transfer means of the intermediate section with one or other of the conveyors according to the munition magazine selected.